Norway's government hit by cyber attack: minister

OSLO, July 24 (Xinhua) 

In a significant cybersecurity incident, the government of Norway has been subjected to fresh attacks aimed at the data platforms of 12 ministries, Local Government and Regional Development Minister Sigbjorn Gjelsvik said at a press conference here on Monday.

The minister said the perpetrators behind the attacks remain unidentified.

The data breach came to light approximately two weeks ago, prompting an immediate response from the government's Security and Service Organization (DSS), an agency affiliated with Gjelsvik's ministry.

Gjelsvik said that all key personnel from the DSS have been urgently recalled from their vacations and are working tirelessly to contain and mitigate the impact of the breach.

In a bid to bolster cybersecurity efforts, a series of measures have been promptly implemented. "The security policy situation we are in means that we have to be extra vigilant and give these issues a high priority," the minister said.

DSS Director Erik Hope said he was deeply concerned by the attack, noting that this was an unprecedented event for the organization.

 "We take this incident very seriously. We have uncovered a previously unknown vulnerability in the software of one of our suppliers. This vulnerability has been exploited by an unknown actor. We have now closed this vulnerability," he said.

 He said that the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Justice and Emergency Preparedness and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are not affected by the attack because they use a different information technology platform.

"It is too early to say anything about who is behind and the extent of the attack," he said.